Algal vegetation in the Elat Coral Reef Reserve

During 1993-1996, algal vegetation was studied in three stations in flat: t wo stations in the Hof Almog Nature Reserve and a third station at Taba, fu rther south. In the Hof Almog stations, filamentous turf comprised more tha n half of the algal vegetation, macroalgae were scarce except for Lobophora variegata and crustose red algae, and total algal cover was low. In Taba, cover by macroalgae, e.g., Cystoseira myrica and Sargassum spp., and total algal cover was higher than in Hof Almog. Around the world, Cystoseira and Sargassum have disappeared or decreased in polluted areas. The almost total absence of these genera in the Hof Almog stations, in contrast to their am ple occurrence at Taba, indicates pollution in Hof Almog but less in Taba. Numerous species found in earlier studies are absent in flat, while other s pecies are recorded for the first time in the present study.